When the snow falls crimson
by Diaed
Summary: Flames burn in the horizon of a long forgotten memory and in a fast approaching future, separated from those she cares for most a nameless Altmer struggles to grab hold the threads that keep her life tied together. Gods demand her success, yet, history predicts her down fall. When push comes to shove, when the beast rears its head, will she be able to fight back?
1. Helgan

The slow, throbbing of pain seeped into the darkness of unseen nightmares, bringing reality back to her. She awoke with a sharp intake of breath, sitting upright too fast and causing pain to shoot through her body. She bit her lip, quieting her cry of pain, and dug her nails into the palm of her hands. This was when she noticed the constraints, leather speckled with blood and dirt that was fastened, tightly, around her wrists. She flexed her hands, the muscle pressing and rubbing against the worn leather almost painfully. She knew that once these were removed that her wrists would be marked, the too tight constraints cutting into her pale flesh with blunt edges.

"Good, you're awake" The voice was not familiar to her, blue eyes lifting to look at the dirt coated nord across from her "You were trying to cross the border when you got caught up in that ambush" She went to speak, only to find her voice dying in her throat and coming out as less than a broken whimper "You were hit pretty hard in the throat, it's a miracle you can even breath"

She looked at her aching hands, doing her best to concentrate her magika to use a restoration spell. The blue light began to flicker, sputtering and struggling to muster itself into anything helpful. She cringed at the feeling, the lack of power causing her veins to burn and mind to scream. She ceased her attempts, panting faintly, breaths ragged and pained. She rolled her shoulders back, pain shooting through her body. Her left leg and right shoulder had been punctured by arrows, remnants of ice burns on her right thigh and wrist.

She looked up at the stone walkway as they passed under it, the nord across from her reminiscing about a girl he had been sweet on from here. She watched the Thalmor move, trying to hide behind the nord when they glanced their way "You in trouble with the Thalmor?" The nord asked.

She glanced between the nord and the altmer before settling her vision on the blonde man across from her, nodding in agreement. She went to say something yet chose to not, not wanting to make her throat burn anymore than it already was. As the cart was drawn down the dirt and stone spotted road, she noticed the heads man standing by a chopping block and her eyes lit up. She nodded from the nord across from her to the headsman. She then nodded to her wrists, allowing a speck of ice to flitter from her palm.

The voice that rose from her throat was pained and horace, crackling and burning like fire "The axe" She said, words breaking and failing her. She then nodded at her wrists again before lifting them. She parted her hands to expose the leather between her wrists, clapping her hands together and pushing down and towards the blonde nord. She then pointed to herself, showing a flicker of ice magic before pointing to him "Highest ranking officer" She croaked "Stand, duck" She then nodded to the axe man again "Axe" She pointed to herself and then made a tossing motion.

Before the other could make a comment, the cart shuddered to a halt. The four prisoners jumped out of the back, allowing her to study the man that had been by her side yet she had not acknowledged. From what she could see, he was noble; furs draping over his broad shoulders hiding every inch of the mans defined back. The man before her was, or had been, a soldier of some sort and no doubt had scars to prove it.

In the middle of her studies, the scrawny man ran off in a storm of screams and declarations before being shot down. This was when the captain, just in the corner of her vision, questioned if "Any one else want to have a go?" The woman practically roared, making the prisoner to smirk and chuckled quietly.

Both the man she had sat across and the other she had set beside were dismissed to the block, she approached the roll caller and stared him down. The brunette nord looked up into blue eyes that did not seem that of an elf's, yet, the sharp and elegant features accompanied by faintly golden flesh most certainly did.

"Captain" The man said, unable to look away from the eerie figure that stood at an unnaturally tall height for one so thin "What should we do, she is not on the list?"

"Doesn't matter, she goes to the block" The captains words brought a wolfish grin to the unnaturally tall elf's perfect face, causing terror to dance across both of their faces.

"I would be concerned if my name were on the list" Her voice came out low and rough, struggling against the damage done to her throat. With this she was led over to the group of blue and chain mail dressed men and woman, studying each with matching curiosity until she reached the noble man soldier.

The imperial listman had called him Ulfric Stormcloak, and now, the General of the legionaries was spouting words of violence and hate. She cared not to study of the General, finding most of his kind barely differing when it came to size and skill. No. It was this gagged man that had her attention, his sandy blonde hair thickened by dirt and blood, chest covered in steel, body cloaked in fabric and fur. This nord seemed to bring life to an old memory she could not recall, tugging at images that she could not decipher.

"Next prisoner! The elf!" The captain called out, catching the elf's nordic eyes. A roar tore through the morning air, catching the attention of those around her "I said next prisoner!"

The elf approached, grinning at the captain, kicking the body of the dead man out of the way. She dropped to her knees, looking up at the heads men as she settled her neck on the block. The man raised his axe, another roar sounding out yet not bothering the headsmen and the elf. As the axe was brought down, she jumped to her feet and spread her arms as much she could. The axe fell down on the bindings, cutting through the leather. Her hands clamped down on the back of the axe and pushed it through so it cut into the man's pelvis. With the cry of the man, a beast crashed down atop a guards tower. It screamed, causing her to stumble back and the world to shake. Stones and fire began to fall around them, imperial and prisoners fleeing from the scene as the elf snatched up the headsman's axe.

"Come on!" The nord that had sat across from her called out "We need to get out of here"

She ran over to him, following him into the tower. She noticed the noble soldier almost immediately. She handed the axe to the one that had sat across from her "What in Ysmir's name was that?" He asked her, accepting the oversized weapon.

"A dragon" She answered, lifting hands to her throat. Blue light flickered to life, flowing and diving into her flesh like water, leaving shadowed marks in its wake.

"Dragons are just legends" He argued back.

"Legends don't burn down villages" The thick, smooth voice came from noble soldier and caused her to glance at him.

"What's the quickest way out of here?" She asked the other who had once sat across from her.

"Follow me" He said quickly, leading her towards the stairs "I'm Ralof, by the way" He said, jogging up the stairs.

"Pleasure" She responded, reaching the top of the stairs. The war blast inward, sending both of them staggering back and the nord falling back to the elf. She caught him, helping him correct himself before they both walked to the hole in the wall.

"Jump down to the building, I will be right behind you" He ordered.

She obeyed, jumping and rolling as she landed on the wooden floor. She turned around to look up at Ralof, only to see him turn to face something beyond her sight, turning and shouting as he readied the headsman's axe before charging at whatever it was. She waited for but a moment before turning and running to the hole in the floor, dropping down to the level below before continuing forward. She doubled back, rolling behind cover as the black beast crashed into the ground.

The list reader moved beside her as the beast blasted fire at the group "Still alive prisoner?"

"Do I look dead to you?" She gave back.

"Follow me" He ordered "We're getting out of here" She nodded, following him through the ruins of a burned down building and across a wooden walkway. He threw back his arm, knocking her to the wall and holding her into place as the black beast crashed down on the wall above them and showered the ruins with fire. She watched a villagers body blister and char beneath the raging flames, the man scream in pain as he died slowly and painfully. As the charred corpse fell, the imperial pulled her from the wall and lead her forward. They passed through a horde of soldiers, the conversation between the man she was following and the others soldiers passing in quick shouts. He let her go as they passed under the stone archway, the two running towards one of the few structures still standing. Before she could follow the Imperial he slowed to meet the man that had first helped her.

"Ralof, you damned traitor, out of my way!" He shouted at the blonde nord.

"We're getting out of here, Hadvar, and you can't do a thing to stop us!" Ralof gave back.

Hadvar cared not to respond, allowing the nord to run past him "Come on, prisoner!" Hadvar called back, meeting the elf's nordic eyes.

She glanced at Ralof before spinning on her heels, following Ralof into the keep instead. He slammed shut the door behind her, walking over to the body lying beside a table at the back of the tower. He knelt down, panting slightly, and looked over his friend "I'll see you in Sovngarde, brother" Ralof said softly, closing shut the nords death clouded eyes.

She made her way over to the steel gate, trying it once before looking over the lock "I can't pick this, it needs a key" She said over her shoulder.

"Then how do we get through?" He asked.

"I could-" She cut herself short, dropping down and whirling around to look at the wooden gate on the other side of the room.

"Get that gate open!" A sharp voice ordered.

She nodded for him to get by the wall closest to the gate as she readied herself. Ice danced around her hands, waiting quietly in the shadows.


	2. Unbound

A flash of ice and a blast of power caught the nords eyes, yet, he was too slow to catch a glimpse of the deadly ice shard that hurtled towards the Imperial's face. With a sickening crack and splatter of crimson, the ice shard finding a sheath in the Captain's face from between a gap in her helmet. The woman fell backwards, the only sound that of the officers terrified gasp. Ralof jumped up, swinging around and bringing his axe down on the final attackers throat, blood flowing out in panicked waves. Ralof removed his axe from the man's throat, watching him fall to the ground. The thick, crimson puddle forming around both the officer and his Captain threatened to lick at Ralof's boots.

"She have a key?" She asked, pressing her hand to the lock.

"Not that I can see" He responded, maneuvering around the puddle to get a better look at the Captain's belongings.

"You're going to need to help break this gate with me" She said over her shoulder. She waited for him to arrive at her side before pulling away yet never breaking the steady stream of ice "Right, kick it with all you've got on my mark" She ordered "Now" She ordered.

The two struck the gate with a kick that echoed through the tower, the frozen lock breaking beneath their combined strength and the iron gate swung back. She was the first to move forward, stopping at the top of the steps to wait for him. Half turning, her hair was ruffled by a draft that caused the raven strands to flutter like fire. He almost expected her to be blown away by the faint draft, yet her tendril like limbs did not even sway.

"Let us hurry" She said quickly, starting down the case the moment he was at her side. When they reached the level below, she prepared an ice spell at the sight of imperial guards just in the distance. Before either of them could charge, the ceiling between the two parties gave way; sending stone and dirt stumbling down and filling that part of the hall.

"I guess you could say that was lucky" Ralof announced from behind her, moving over a door on their left "Any closer and this door would not have been useable"

"Mm" She hummed in agreement, moving behind him as he pushed back the door to reveal a store room.

"Grab anything you can and lets get out of here" Ordered an Imperial Captain, unknowingly alerting the pair to his and subordinates presence.

She looked back to Ralof, lifting a finger to her lips to signal silence. She then raised her hand as to tell him to wait before dropping down and skulking behind the captain. Without the mans notice, she took the dagger from his belt, rising to surpass the man's height and then slitting his throat quietly. Just as the subordinate turned around, she took the Captain's sword, ducking around the collapsing body of the others superior officer and driving it through his throat with frightening ease. She took both weapons, taking the dying officers belt and fastening it around her waist so she could sheath her new found sword along side the officers own.

"Imperials die too easily these days" She muttered under her breath, driving the dagger into a barrel "Back in my day, they use to be much harder to take down" She continued to rant, moving around the storeroom to snatch up an stamina and health potion from two tables "A beggar would prove more of a challenge"

"Can we get a move on? I don't want to be here incase the dragon caves in anymore roof's" Ralof spoke up, waiting for her by the door.

She nodded, slightly, and approached him as he threw back the door. The two pressed on, down more stairs, until they saw the cages of an Imperial torture chamber ahead "Trolls blood" Ralof breathed as they slowly continued. The two had just rounded a corner when she suddenly shoved Ralof to the ground, the two narrowly missing a blast of electricity. She rolled onto her back, unleashing shards of ice into the hooded imperials head with a snarl. The man went limp, falling to the ground like a doll dropped by a child. The warm blood that oozed from his throat and face began to pool around his head, melting the ice shards.

"That was a nice shot" Ralof said, a bit breathless from the sudden impact of the floor.

"Aren't mine always?" She gave back, standing up and dusting herself off before offering him a hand. He accepted it, finding her flesh surprising warm - no - hot despite her apparent love of ice based magic. She took her hand away, acknowledging the surprised look on his face with a snort of amusement "I know, it's a bit surprising, but, it's a family thing" She nodded to the cage in the center of the row of three "You correct yourself, I'll open that up" With that she walked to the cage, kneeling down and starting to work on the lock.

Ralof moved behind her, watching her open the door with ease. The cage door swung back, the elf moving inside and crouching down the body "What are you doing?" He asked as she began to fidget with the dead man's clothes.

"Taking his clothes" She answered "Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you" He reluctantly nodded, leaving her to defoul the dead.


End file.
